Rectal exam during vasectomy consultation?

My friend has a consultation with a urologist booked because he wants to get a vasectomy.

What are the chances that a rectal exam will be done as part of the initial evaluation? Has anyone had this done?

Slim to none unless there is some indication of a problem with the internal bits and they want to evaluate it right then. Everything the doctor needs to get at is up front and easily accessible, and that's what they're going to be paying attention to.

Mine was ask questions, make sure I understood what I was going in for, drop the front of the pants and feel around a bit to check the testicles and vas, then set the date for the surgery.

When I went for mine, the doctor did not perform a rectal exam.

Never actually had the vasectomy but I did go in for an initial consultation. Basically reviewed health history and meds and then described the prep and procedure. No visual inspections, just chatted.

For my consultation I did not get a rectal exam.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. My imagination might be a little disappointed that my friend won't be getting a rectal exam, but I'm sure he won't mind one bit.

For my consultation there was no rectal exam.

My wife actually scheduled my initial consultation and accompanied me to the appointment. We both thought we were going to literally just talk to the doctor about the procedure and confer that this is what we both really wanted before we pulled the trigger. When we were done talking, all three of us stood up and I went to shake the doctors hand. That's when he said, “Uhh, I need to do a quick exam on you.” He had me lower my pants and underwear to mid thighs and lie on the table. He did a VERY thorough exam of my penis, scrotum, and testicles. This was my first time to ever have my penis palpated and inspected. No hernia exam, no rectal exam. As we were walking out to the car, my wife said, “Wow, I wasn't expecting that…”

No rectal exam for my cut n shut.

Nope, not done when I had mine. Just discussed the process, prep, recovery and out the door till surgery day.

There was just a chat about the procedure, and a quick counselling session as to why I wanted it done and was it suitable for me. She then emphasised the importance of using other forms of contraception for around 10-12 weeks afterwards until given the all clear after 2 semen samples tested negative. But there was no physical examination of any kind at all…

For me, I had a consultation with the urologist in his office in which I explained why I wanted it done. He gave me release forms which required that my wife also sign off. He explained the procedure to me, including the requirement to have two consecutive negative semen evaluations and the need for contraception for the first 12 weeks.

The urologist then said he wanted to do an examination “to be sure there were no surprises”. He brought me to the examination room, and had me pull down my pants and underpants. He examined my penis, testicles, spermatic cords, and inguinal region, but he did not do a rectal examination.

While I had my pants and underpants down, the urologist also explained what I had to do to prepare for the procedure. He gave me a packaged sponge with iodine disinfectant in it. He told me to shower before coming to the procedure. Immediately after the shower, I should scrub with the iodine sponge, and use the foamy scrub on my scrotum to shave the hair along the front part of the scrotum. It didn't require a lot of shaving, just an area about one inch by two inches.

And that was that, until the vasectomy itself a few weeks later.

BTW, my wife was grateful for my vasectomy. Good luck to your friend!

Snip! Snip!

I was surprised that they told me not to shave. Turns out they trimmed a patch there, not sure why they didn't have me do it, I'd have done a better job.

I was surprised that they told me not to shave. Turns out they trimmed a patch there, not sure why they didn't have me do it, I'd have done a better job.

Most doctors don't want you shaving because they're afraid you're going to cut yourself and possibly get an infection. That's the last thing they want during a surgery or procedure. My doctor also shaved my scrotum before the vasectomy. Did a pretty good job at it too.